Two Men Killed When CSX Train Hits Vehicle South of Lakeland

Two men died Sunday night when a CSX train struck their SUV at a Lakeland rail crossing, troopers said, trapping the driver and his passenger inside the vehicle as it caught fire.

By MATTHEW PLEASANTTHE LEDGERv

LAKELAND | Two men died Sunday night when a CSX train struck their SUV at a Lakeland rail crossing, troopers said, trapping the driver and his passenger inside the vehicle as it caught fire.

Florida Highway Patrol could not identify the men Monday. The Polk County Medical Examiner's Office must use dental records for identification because of the extent of their injuries.

The collision occurred about 11:40 p.m. as the train crossed tracks on Ewell Road immediately west of its intersection with State Road 37, troopers said. As the train approached, the crossing's lighted gates lowered and the train's horn sounded to alert drivers.

Despite the warnings, the driver, headed west on the inside lane of Ewell Road, apparently attempted to cross the tracks and moved his 1998 Nissan Pathfinder into the path of the train, troopers said.

The train, traveling about 35 mph, struck the SUV's left side, propelling it into a railroad junction control box near the road, troopers said. The SUV and the box caught fire.

The train was headed from Tampa and carried phosphate rock, troopers said. A CSX spokesman said the train is based at a Mulberry station. It measured as long as 3,500 feet with 75 cars and two engines.

Investigators are searching for witnesses who can describe the SUV's driving pattern before the collision, where the driver and passenger were headed from and other information.

"We're trying to get any concept of what led up to the car doing what it did," said Sgt. Steve Gaskins, an FHP spokesman.

Polk County had 60 rail-crossing crashes between 2002 and 2011, the last year for which information is available. The crashes resulted in 10 deaths and 34 injuries.

The Federal Railroad Administration credits safety campaigns, increased traffic law enforcement and improved rail crossing engineering with lowering the number of such crashes.

Collisions have dropped from a high of 13,557 in 1978 to about 2,000 in 2011, an 85 percent reduction, according to the FRA. Deaths at rail crossings have dropped from 1,115 in 1976 to about 250 in 2011.

Trains can do little to come to an abrupt stop when a vehicle crosses into its path, said Eric Eakin, a United Transportation Union spokesman. Depending on the train's size, weight and other factors, he said, it can take at least a half mile.

"Impatience will get you killed," he said. "There's never a reason to go across a closed crossing gate."

If you witnessed the crash, call FHP investigators at 863-413-3510.

[ Matthew Pleasant can be reached at matthew.pleasant@theledger.com or 863-802-7590. ]